I love it! I am so glad that I found this blog and the game threads because it really helped to chase away the negativity I heard from others and the underlying anxiety that occasionally still creeps in from the "old days" before 2004.

I think my favorite part of this Red Sox run is that people dump on Epstein and the front office for not having any imagination in building a contender - that the Red Sox have become the Yankees Redux. I never bought that crap for a second. The Red Sox spend less money, have comparable home-grown talent, and a deeper farm system. They may throw more weight around in the FA market, but with the 500-lb. gorilla in their division, what choice do they have to compete? The O's tried the same thing in 2004 and failed miserably. Oh, and one more thing...

The Yankees are home, while the Red Sox are playing for a World Series championship!

1. My mother-in-law knows a guy.2. Spent more money than I should have.3. Called in sick today.

The tickets were $300 each: a lot to pay for a ballgame, but not a lot for a once-in-a-lifetime experience (and probably comparable to following the team on the road). Meaghan says WS Game 3 tickets in Denver were going up to $17,800 (no typo) on StubHub this morning.

Called the ticket office, got the seat for face value. Went to over 20 games this year, including two Yankee games and two playoff games. All face value. Since I've mentioned this stuff before, I know some people might think I'm bragging, but I'm just trying to get the message across that tickets are not as hard to get as everyone makes it out to be.

I only would use the slimeball agencies if I've tried every other method and I absolutely must be at a game. Sometimes you have to do it, but I never just assume that's gonna be my only opportunity to get to a game. I fear that with these places becoming so common, and being supported by teams and advertising with them, a whole generation is going to grow up thinking that's where the tickets come from and those are the real prices.

You're so right, Jere. In NY people used to always ask me, how'd you get the tickets? And almost always, the answer was, I persisted. Waited in line, checked online a million times, etc.

Sometimes, tho, there's no way you can do that work without your whole life caving in. You can't skip work or put everything on hold. Then spending your hard-earned money instead of your precious time is a good trade-off too.